The reason for the timing? Black
Friday originated in the US where the fourth Thursday in November is celebrated as the Thanksgiving holiday and since many people have holiday on the Friday too it became an
ideal day for businesses to start promoting shopping for Christmas. Originally
the sale would be one day only, but Black Friday has spread across both
November and the Atlantic – Black Friday sales starting early in November and being the norm in the UK now
too.
In contrast, Buy Nothing Day
describes itself as a ‘detox from consumerism’. You can read more about how and
why the campaign started HERE.
With the clamour of COP26 (the United Nations Climate Change conference) still
ringing in our ears, issues around the impact of our buying seem particularly
pertinent, and with this in mind we have pulled together a selection of
resources in the library that cover the topic.
The choices we make when we decide
whether or what to buy have many impacts. The resources on display in the
library focus on the impacts of our choices on the environment and on humans
too, from plastic in oceans to the consequences of fast fashion and whether
being vegan can make a difference.
Several of the magazines and journals we have in the library have produced special issues for COP26 so we have included some in the display along with copies of the Ethical Consumer magazine. These can't be borrowed but you are welcome to read them in the library. We’ve also included some fiction around the theme of the impact of our consumer choices on the world around us.
Come and choose some reading material to help you form your own opinion.
Here are some other reading suggestions:
To learn more about COP26, the UN Climate Change conference,
check out the website
On the environmental cost of a fast fashion T-shirt try this article from The Conversation.